Part Dungeons and Dragons romp, part Xena: Warrior Princess and a smidge of Lord of The Rings, Sword of Xanten is based on the Germanic myth Das Nibelungenlied and the Nordic Volsunga Saga, which also inspired the four-opera cycle by Richard Wagner and Tolkien's world famous ring-centric work.
The Sword of Xanten is swords and sorcery viewed through a soap lens. Weaving a complicated plot, with inevitable unhappy ending, it's easy to see why Wagner would want to adopt this story.
The acting is fine for what it is and you can't help but be distracted by the gorgeous Kristinna Loken, perfectly cast as Icelandic warrior-queen Brunnhild - no longer playing second-fiddle to Arnie as a female Terminator - and the lovely Alica Witt as naive Kriemhild.
Great scenery, slow-motion bundles (it's a bit of an exaggeration to call most of them 'fights'), arch acting and above-average CGI make for a great little pot boiler.
It's quite long (around three hours) but The Sword of Xanten is non-stop fun and frolics all the way - with a bit of sauciness and a bit of blood - that can hold the attention of a willing viewer.
The Sword of Xanten is swords and sorcery viewed through a soap lens. Weaving a complicated plot, with inevitable unhappy ending, it's easy to see why Wagner would want to adopt this story.
The acting is fine for what it is and you can't help but be distracted by the gorgeous Kristinna Loken, perfectly cast as Icelandic warrior-queen Brunnhild - no longer playing second-fiddle to Arnie as a female Terminator - and the lovely Alica Witt as naive Kriemhild.
Great scenery, slow-motion bundles (it's a bit of an exaggeration to call most of them 'fights'), arch acting and above-average CGI make for a great little pot boiler.
It's quite long (around three hours) but The Sword of Xanten is non-stop fun and frolics all the way - with a bit of sauciness and a bit of blood - that can hold the attention of a willing viewer.